Democrats for Education Reform is hosting a low-dollar fundraiser ($25/person) for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) this Tuesday, June 9th, from 6 to 8 pm at the Capitol City Brewery in Washington, DC. You can register by clicking here.
Senator Bennet came to his new position from the Superintendency of Denver Public Schools, where his record was extraordinary. He instituted one of the most innovative merit pay systems in the country (with the teachers union members’ support) which pays high-performing teachers and those who teach in high-need schools more. He hit the pavement to bring students back into the system, while closing failing schools so that those students would return to a renewed system. During his tenure at DPS, he advised then-candidate Obama on education issues and was a short-list candidate for Secretary of Education.
He is already a crucial part of the discussion in the Senate and within the Democratic Party about what meaningful education reform will look like. Here’s what the Denver Post had to say: “U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet staked out his claim to help shape national education reform … announcing in his maiden speech on the Senate floor that he would draw up comprehensive legislation by year end. The bill could include some of the most critical elements of a national reform agenda supported by the Obama administration and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: merit pay for teachers, voluntary national standards, and evaluations of students’ performance as they advance from grade to grade, known as longitudinal tracking.”
We’d like every stripe of education reform advocate to meet this rising star in the Democratic Party, so I hope you’ll join us on Tuesday at the Capitol City Brewery!
